Back in August 2022, we started an anonymous Kilburn Conversation to gauge how you feel about Kilburn. Here is our post then.
We thank all who have contributed and if you have not yet, you can still contribute here.
We started the conversation with 35 statements to get it going and did not expect your involment would be so great! You submitted an additional 514 statements! We accepted 170 statements, as some of the submitted statements were a repetition of other statements and we did not want to overhelm participants with too many statements.
The conversation has had 52034 votes! So while it is not scientifically representing the entirity of our Kilburn residents, businesses and visitors, it is a good snapshot of how you feel.
We are proud that the conversation has attracted votes from all age groups and from Kilburn residents and business owners, which we can identify with what is called meta data.
Meta Data below:
| Overall | Group A | Group B | |||||||||
| Statement | % Agree | %Disagree | % unsure | % Agree | %Disagree | % unsure | % Agree | %Disagree | % unsure | ||
| I live in Kilburn (15 mins walk from Kilburn High Road) | 72 | 10 | 17 | 73 | 10 | 15 | 71 | 10 | 18 | ||
| My age is between 25 years old and 45 years old. | 56 | 31 | 11 | 44 | 46 | 8 | 63 | 23 | 12 | ||
| I am older than 45 years old. | 24 | 61 | 13 | 34 | 54 | 11 | 19 | 66 | 14 | ||
| I work in Kilburn (within 15 minutes walk of Kilburn High Road) | 18 | 64 | 17 | 24 | 62 | 12 | 14 | 64 | 20 | ||
| I am younger than 25 years old. | 9 | 77 | 13 | 13 | 76 | 9 | 6 | 77 | 15 | ||
| I run a business in Kilburn (15 mins walk from Kilburn High Road) | 4 | 73 | 21 | 4 | 72 | 22 | 4 | 74 | 20 |
Unlike other Kilburn surveys, consultations and the like, we believe that our conversation captures the views of some of the less heard age groups, ie below 45 Years old.
The software used, pol.is, is run by AI and has split the respondents into 2 groups, group A 38% of respondents and group B 72% of respondents. This split is informed by the way you respond to statements. The software then identifies areas of consensus (where most repondents vote the same way) and areas of divisive opinion (where the 2 groups vote differently).
We have excluded the statements where there were less than 200 votes. Because statements were added all the time, people who first participated have not necessarily revisited to answer new statements. Not all statemenents have had thus the same number of votes.
We have tried to group the statements and answers by category so that the results are easier to read. We have also colour coded the answers to make it easier to identify consensus versus divisive statements.
So let’s look at some of the results.
Brent and Camden Councils are not performing their statutory duties
Both local authorities have duties in Kilburn as Highway Auhtorities and as planning authorities.
It is their reponsiblility to maintian the highway and that includes pavements, in a satisfactory states for all passing traffic (including pedestrians) to enjoy a safe unobstructed passage. This includes prublic realm infrastructure maintenance, cleaning, enforcement of parking rules, removal of pavement/highway obstructions, removal of health and saftey issues like pigeon mess and maintaining the drainage system so that pedestrians can move when it rains without having to jump over lakes of water.
As a statutory planning body, both Councils have a responsibility to ensure that planning rules are respected and enforced. They have powers to issue enforcement notices when planning rules are not respected (shop signages, shop frontage changes etc) and powers to issue S215 notices when a space (phone box, facade etc..) is not maintained properly and thus badly affects the feel of an area.
Both groups agree that both Councils have not performed these duties satisfactorily.
Please see the results on what the Councils can influence directly here.
Use of Kilburn as a shopping or enterntainment destination
It is sad but unsurprising that 44% of respondents “Try to avoid using the Kilburn High Road as much as possible”. There is a big difference here between group A, where only 6% avoid the High Road as much as possible and group B where 67% avoid the High Road as much as possible.
For a local night out, 66% would rather go to West Hampstead, Queens Park or Kensal Rise and only 30% would consider a night out with Friends in Kilburn. This is is despite 69% of respondent agreeing that there are good pubs in Kilburn, and 41% atending at play at the Kiln at least once a year.
However 69% of respondents use the businesses on Kilburn High Road at least once a week.
This might be explained by the fact that 65% go to Kilburn High Road to take the tube or the overground, and 52% to take the bus.
Very few respondents use the community facilities on offer, ie only 14% use the Kilburn Library and 12% the Community Centres.
The limitation on car parking or bicylce parking do not seem to be a reason for people not to use the Kilburn High Road , as only 15% of respondents would use the businesses on the High Road more if there were more car parking spaces and 36% if there were more spaces to park their bicycles.
Please see details here.
Safety and policing
The Conversation confirms that there are serious issues with crime and safety in Kilburn, even if that might just be a perception. Again there is a divide between groups A and B, where group A don’t recognise safety as much of an issue as group B.
Only 53% of respondents feel safe on Kilburn High Road during day time, and this reduces to 32% at night time.
80% of respondents agree with this statement: “So many issues need to be tackled in Kilburn. The first priority should be to tackle real or perceived crime ie drug use and dealing in full view, verbal harassment directed at women, urination in public spaces, alcohol abuse in parks and streets, shoplifting and resselling of stolen goods openly.”
This perception of crime and safety issues might go a long way in explaining why people avoid the High Road and Kilburn as much as possible.
Please see details here.
Other statements and citizenship
Please see here the remaining statements not classified in the above 3 categories.
People seem to like living in Kilburn because of its great transport connections (85% agree), there is a desire for a vibrant art scene to be revived (82%), strengths of Kilburn are its diversity (77% agree) and its history (76% agreee).
43% don’t volunteer locally currently but would be happy to in the future and not surprisingly 51% don’t feel involved in the community.
There are some nice statements about Life in Kilburn and we are flattered.
However respondents don’t trust the local Councillors to help solve local issues (80%), 63% of respondents don’t know who the local Councillors are and finally there is a big divide about the wish for gentrification of Kilburn with 47% of respondents wishing for gentrification (group A 10% and group B 71%)
And?…
While this conversation is not fully representative of Kilburn as it has mainly been publicised via Twitter and Instagram, it stills gives pointers as to how you feel about Kilburn.
It is clear that both Councils have no interest in Kilburn and have let Kilburn become run down. Despite the Councils, Kilburn is still busy. Imagine what could happen if the Councils listened to people and performed their statutory duties!
If you feel that this conversation is useful please share it with your neighbours and friends. We will keep it running. The link is here.
The data above cannot be used without our permission.